Camaro Camaro test drive since 2009
New Chevrolet Camaro. "Dubasim" in oak!
Oil. It is this liquid and combustible mixture of hydrocarbons that owes its flowering Dubai. More than a hundred skyscrapers are one higher than the other, chic hotels, beautiful roads laid in lifeless deserts, all this became a reality due to an increase in black gold prices. And where without luxurious cars? Bentley, Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti are here as often as limousines with flashing lights in Moscow. But it is all the more amazing that we invariably found ourselves in the spotlight behind the wheel ... the new Chevrolet Camaro! And the reason for acquaintance was the fast Camaro debut in the Russian market.
The predatory, aggressive, muscular of whatever epithets have not been awarded the Chevrolet Camaro since the debut of the 2006 concept car. And, fortunately, it was in this form that he reached the conveyor. By the way, while Camaro replays of direct competitors in sales, and they also have very attractive external data.
It is characteristic that it was oil that could become the end of the history of Camaro in 1973 that the energy crisis associated with the conflict of the United States and the Arab oil -producing countries and buried many interesting American cars with large engines struck. But Camaro not only resisted, but also became even more popular by the choice of sports cars decreased, so more and more buyers turned to the pony car with the cross of Louis Chevrolet on the radiator grille.
The unbridled construction began in Dubai about 15 years ago, and in 1999, the Arabs opened one of the most chic hotels in the world of Burj al-Arab (in the photo below the left), which they indefinitely called the semicipant. A 321 meter tower until 2008 was also considered the highest hotel in the world until its achievement was blocked by another hotel in ... Dubai. Since then, 38 buildings have already been built in this emirate above 220 meters. And, it seems, this is only the beginning ... In the same 2008, the Atlantis Hotel (in the photo above), crowning the artificial bulk of Jumeira. Despite the fact that its height is only 92 meters, Atlantis has already managed to become one of Dubai's sights
As a result, Camaro lasted on the conveyor until 2002, when the production was still turned out to be out of order, and General Motors was not at all up to him. It seemed that Camaro would forever disappear from the range of Chevrolet models. But the general fashion for retro and successfully revived by Ford Mustang played in the hands of legend. Could not in Chevrolet allow their sworn competitor to collect all the cream! The Camaro concept car in 2006 literally excited the audience, and three years later, in 2009, reached the assembly line. Moreover, appearance practically did not undergo changes good, infection!
Chevrolet Camaro large car: 4836 mm in length, 1916 in width. Wheel base 2852 mm. Against this background, the mass in 1713-1751 kg (depending on the modification) does not look something out of the ordinary
And the Arabs like it. They look around, look approvingly at the chrome five-spoke 20-inch wheels: here Camaro is still very rare, I saw only one, with the exception of our column. The yellow Camaro with stripes looks especially defiant as in the transformer blockbuster. But he got to me later distributed us in the crews voluntarily in order. However, I was upset only a few seconds.
The Chevrolet Camaro SS is already equipped with 20-inch wheels and four-piston calipers of the Brembo on the front axle in the basic configuration. Brake disc diameter 355 mm in front
It turned out that only Red Camaro had a small, but very important nameplate on the trunk lid two letters SS! That is, under the hood here a V8 with a volume of 6.2 liters, which produces 432 horses and 569 Newton meters. Solid ... by the way, it is SS that proudly carries the flagship banner of the Camaro family, because the crazy compressor ZL1 will appear on American roads no earlier than the spring of next year. And in other countries later. It turns out that I had to go behind the wheel of the most powerful version of Camaro today!
And most importantly, all the power of the large V8 is transmitted to the rear wheels through ... mechanical gearbox! Yes, a rare chance to find a purebred American on mechanics. Moreover, this box (Tremec TR-6060) is placed on almost all charged cars from the States: these are Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac CTS-V, main rivals of Camaro Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, Dodge Challenger and even Dodge Viper SRT-10. However, there was no need to wait for some breathtaking dynamics: according to passport data, Camaro SS accelerates to hundreds in 5.2 seconds. Something is modest for such a herd. And after all, the mass cannot be called excessive for such dimensions of 1751 kg.
Although, what the hell are seconds! Turn the key in the ignition lock, and V8 comes to life ahead. Give gas to neutrals, and the body will swing from the inertia of the crankshaft. Vrum-warouw! Still, the voice of a large V-shaped eight is unique. What, if not this gurgling at idle, replacing a loud roar at the top, so complements the chic appearance of revived American muscles? Yes, at least 18 turbines hang on your motor with two cylinders, blow at least 600 forces, but you won’t interrogate the sound. And it becomes sad from the fact that in the future of these irrational mastodons, green will finally drive into a corner. Forever and ever.
But while we enjoy! I squeeze a tight clutch (oh, for a long time I did not drive cars with such a hard pedal), stick the first gear with a short lever, and ... no, I do not accelerate the floor with a slip, scaring off the neighbors along the road and leaving greasy black traces on the red -hot asphalt of the Dubai roads. Here for this they will definitely not be stolen on the head. Therefore, we were allocated a guide, for which we should strictly follow the city, observing speed restrictions. And why didn't I get a convertible? I would sit and look at numerous skyscrapers on the sheikh of Zayd.
The Spartan situation reigns inside. All plastic is hard, everything is simple. Flat buttons, primitive displays and no climate control only air conditioning. In expensive versions of Camaro there are four additional devices that show the oil pressure, the temperature of the engine oil, the voltage in the onboard network and the temperature of the transmission oil. The short lever of the manual transmission is original, but uncomfortable
In the absence of such an alternative, I begin to master in the cabin. Hello America! The design, of course, is good, the motives of the first generation of Kamaro are felt. And this is a stone in the garden of the revived Dodge Challenger that, with all the attractiveness of forms, is absolutely ordinary inside. But the originality of Camaro, alas, harmonized ergonomics. A huge bagel with a concave hub is uncomfortable, the devices are uninformative, only relief hips of the hind wings are visible in beautiful mirrors, and to set up music, you have to be distracted from the road for a long time. Yes, and the sense of this is little to change the equalizer curve back and forth, and the sound still leaves much to be desired. But on the columns it is written by Boston Premium. Well, I will listen to V8 ...
The seats are quite convenient, but they do not claim the title of sports. Leather upholstery privilege of expensive Camaro 2lt and 2SS. Two Camaro people can rightly be considered a full -fledged four -seater compartment on the back sofa.
In addition, tall people will complain that their head rests on the roof. Of course, Camaro was equipped with a hatch (it eats a little space), but the adjustment of the chair may not be enough in height. Although, why are I finding fault? In the United States, the most affordable Camaro costs $ 23,200 from us for that kind of money you will only buy Cruze! Therefore, he can forgive him a lot. But the sensation of a sort of Texas by the insane here is not just felt by Camaro literally saturated with it.
The trunk in Camaro is small only 328 liters. But this is unlikely to strongly excite the owners. There is no spawn only for repair
Demand from Camaro European manners? It is easier to make a farmer in a checkered shirt have oysters and snails, drinking them with expensive champagne. The steering wheel has to rotate on large corners, and fluctuations in heavy wheels are transmitted to the body. The suspension unceremoniously beats at the fifth point on the bedridle policemen, and the gearbox with an original (and uncomfortable) lever does not differ in the clarity of the switching mechanism. But as soon as we escaped into the desert, it was instantly forgotten. They just finally allowed us to press.
The fifth generation of Chevrolet Camaro even drove into the northern loop of Nurburgring. But on Dubai roads to understand what the engineers in Germany did, it is impossible in the desert of the serpentines, and turns are less common than camels. We can only say that the suspension is moderately hard, and the car is able to turn and stop. By the way, the Camaro SS 2012 model year received an updated FE4 chassis with reconfigured shock absorbers, thicker reptile stabilizers. Therefore, to understand the nuances of SS controllability with an old suspension, in fact, there was no need to come to us with Fe4
And we pressed! Now Camaro is in his element. The guide went to the rampant at times we reached 200 km/h. The cameras were not afraid of our presenter was well acquainted with their location and dropped the speed in advance. Turns? Occasionally, circular interchanges came across, but most roads in the desert are like an arrow. It is impossible to evaluate the controllability of Camaro in these places, and even in the convoy. But for good reason, SS are brakes with four -piston calipers of Brembo and good Pirelli P zero dimension 245/45 R20. Obviously, it is favorably different from its ancestors in terms of running qualities.
I had a chance to ride on a Camaro V6 convertible with a machine gun, which is not going to sell in Russia yet. The car is almost a hundred kilograms heavier than the closed version (1808 kg), so the feeling of dynamics creates ... the wind! If in front you can still be calmly at speeds over 120 km/h, in any case in hot oak, then it blows back as soon as the speedometer arrow intersects 80 ... and no windproof screen!
Although I do not think that someone will go to the Chevrolet Camaro on a racing track. Even on the SS version. And let the ZL1 modification already rushed along the northern loop of Nürburgring with a good circle of 7: 41.27, this car is intended for completely different purposes. Belaw at the restaurant or nightclub, dying off the engine at a traffic light, grab a carban or just collect admiring glances in traffic jams. That's what Camaro needs.
The brakes of the six -cylinder modification are more than modest. The calipers here are ordinary, with a floating bracket, and the diameter of the front disks is smaller than any decent charged charged hatchback golf class only 321 mm!
In Russia, you need to reinforce a minimum of 300 kilometers to any decent autrod (and this is provided that the capital is in a habitat!), And the owners of expensive cars do not want to turn the gearbox with a lever. So the Russian representative office of Chevrolet, perhaps, made the right choice: Camaro will be sold exclusively with a six -band automaton. Alas, Camaro from automatic transmission and V8 was not included in the test program, so I had to be content with a less powerful modification. And it was just the same yellow compartment with stripes. So, what will the transformer of Bamlby with the RS nameplate and the V6 engine will delight?
At least, the steering wheel from ... Chevrolet Cruze! It turned out that it was on the cars of the 2012 model year. Moreover, not only an uncomfortable original bagel, but also the schedule of the tachometer and speedometer were replaced. It seems that many buyers complained about them. It turns out that Camaro SS received the same package of updates, it was just not at our disposal that was not the latest car (which was also confirmed by a mileage of 30 thousand kilometers).
The original steering wheel, of course, is much better in accordance with the spirit of classic Camaro, but the steering from Cruise (in the photo) is more convenient. Equipment for the Russian market has not yet been approved, but in the United States, Camaro offers various leather decoration options, Bluetooth protocol for connecting with a phone, AUX and USB nests, as well as for connecting the iPhone. Plus, the rear parking sensors, the rear view camera that transfers the image to the display in the rear view mirror, a simple navigation that draws turns on the screen between the tachometer and the speedometer. And even such an exotic option as ... backlighting the cup holders!
But even the new Camaro V6 with a modernized engine can not contrast with a mighty SS-ke. It is worth going to the endless straight, as SS leaves literally before our eyes. And no wonder the engine with a volume of 3.6 liters develops 328 horsepower and 377 N ∙ m of torque, you can’t compare with the power of the V8. Yes, and the Hydra-Matic 6L80 box is clearly configured to save fuel, and is in no hurry to go down when you need to quickly accelerate.
From Cruise Chevrolet Camaro got not only the steering wheel, but also the steering wheel levers. But the differences on the dashboard are not so noticeable, the numbers have changed a little, and the arrows now have become completely red
So for a more dynamic driving, it is better to move the gearbox lever to the M position and take control of the gear shift. And you can do this only with the help of steering wheel ... buttons! The usual petals are just visibility, but in fact you need to press the keys located on the back of the steering wheel. Another original solution in the interior of Camaro.
The seats with tissue upholstery are traditionally better adapted for fast driving than leather ones, they are more tenacious. But Boston Acoustics was not impressed, despite the presence of 9 speakers. But, having rummaged in the configurator of the American website of Chevrolet, I found in the list of options ... two 10-inch subwoofers and a 200-watt amplifier that are installed in the trunk
But after meeting with Camaro SS, the yellow-black compartment on the machine was no longer too impressed. And the point, not only in dynamics, a lot of sensations hides just a gearbox, and the voice of the motor is more intellectual than the eight roars. Camaro is missing with the V6 of that rudeness and brutality, which a hooligan with a stigma SS literally spills on you. It is curious that Chevrolet does not publish the dynamic characteristics of a six -cylinder modification. It feels like a gun will hardly meet 7 seconds to a hundred.
RS is not a special version of the Chevrolet Camaro, but just the name of the options package for the six -cylinder version of LT. It includes 20-inch wheels and xenon headlights with spectacular LED sections
However, there is a nuance, which for many will be more important than the differences between the two versions of Camaro. This is the difference in price! If in the USA Camaro V6 with an automaton begins at $ 24,400, and SS C automatic transmission starts with $ 36,445, then in Russia there is even more gap between them. So, a six -cylinder compartment will cost about 2 million rubles, and another 500 thousand will have to pay for the V8. True, these prices are preliminary, since official sales will start in May. For about the same money, we are now selling Camaro so -called gray dealers that import them from the USA and Germany.
Expensive? If you reason reasonably, then yes! Any European or Japanese sports car taught a lesson to indecent Yankees in racing conditions. And there is nothing to say about the salon. But how can you find a more spectacular new car for this money, and even with the name, behind which there is a 45-year story? So the Chevrolet Camaro will definitely find his fans in Russia. Moreover, the option with V6 seems quite justified. Under the hood of SS with an automaton, another modification of the engine is installed, it produces 405 hp. and 556 N ∙ m (instead of 432 hp and 569 N ∙ m with mechanics), and the boxes themselves are the same. But the main thing is that Camaro V6 and Camaro SS are almost the same in the same difference in small, barely perceptible details. And any of them, when choosing the right color, will be in the spotlight. Checked in Dubai!
Vadim Gagarin
Photo by the author and company Chevrolet
Technique
Engines
-V-shaped eight with a volume of 6162 cubes (at the top) with an aluminum block has ... a lower design with pushing valve rods! And there are only 16 of them, 2 per cylinder. In general, the Americans hold on to their dinosaurs, as they can, that they give them to some cars a special chic in conditions of universal downsus under the pressure of ecologists. The LS3 engine (432 hp, 569 N ∙ m) is irrelevant for us, since the SS with an automaton is equipped with the L99 motor of the same architecture and volume, but with lower return (405 hp 556 N ∙ m). Weak consolation can be the fact that L99 has a system of Active Fuel Management, which turns off half the cylinders while moving during partial loads.
-V6 has a much more modern filling here and valves 24, and even direct injection! Moreover, from this year on Camaro, they began to install the LFX engine instead of the previous LLT. The volume remained the same (3564 cubic centimeters), but the engine dropped 9 kg and received modernized inlet valves, nozzles, fuel pump and graduation collector. As a result, an increase in 12 hp and 7 N ∙ m. Total: 328 hp and 377 n ∙ m
Chassis
The fifth generation of Chevrolet Camaro is built on the GM Zeta platform, developed by the Australian branch of the concern. At the front of the McPherson racks, an electric power steering operates in the steering drive, and a four -legged design is behind. The engine is shifted behind the front axis for the purpose of the best weightlifting (it turned out 52/48 in favor of the muzzle). In the basic configuration, the Chevrolet Camaro compartment is equipped with six airbags, but the convertible is content with only four
Story
In 2011, Chevrolet Camaro celebrates the 45th anniversary, in honor of which we have already published a historical essay. You can find out about the history of Camaro from the material friend, comrade and brother
Vadim Gagarin
Photo by the author
Source: Auto.mail.ru
